A Life Changing Diagnosis for solo Mum
I'm an undiagnosed Autistic solo-mum. As an adult, I don't qualify for free Autism assessment in NZ.
Manawatu / Whanganui
The problem is that I can't prove to any government services that I am Autistic, because as an adult I don't qualify for funding for the Piece of Paper through my local DHB. I need to be able to "tick a box". If I wasn't seeking specific supports that this diagnosis would help with, then I wouldn't bother with the exercise.
All my life I have known I was different from other people. In school that wasn't such a good thing because "kids can be cruel". Everyone assumed I had a bright future ahead of me because my grades were really good. My parents and teachers didn't have the information that they needed to support me. Often I just wasn't organised enough to write things down.
In the 1980s people had never heard of Autism.
It wasn't until the 2000s that I learned more about Autism.. and ADHD.. and "Neurodiversity"; all these pop-psychology buzz words that were thrown around online and in magazines. It took me a while to realise that women often present with Autism in different ways to how school boys do.. and that is who most of the tests pick up: Boys.. and people in school. I realised that I was the woman from all the checklists. I was the way that Autism looks different in women and girls. It's a pity that I never knew as a kid, because people don't waste time diagnosing adults.. particularly women. If I was by myself I would be alright, but I am a solo mum with 3 children.
It is going to cost me a quoted amount of between $2035 and $2775 to be assessed . If it turns out that Autism is not what my problem is, then I at last will, hopefully, have a definitive answer to why my life has been so challenging up until now, and a starting point for strategies to make my life a better place.
Use of funds
I have a quote for Autism assessment in the range of 11 - 15 hours at a cost of $2035 to $2775 (plus there is a 5% surcharge on GiveaLittle). Any ongoing psych therapy after that assessment/diagnosis would cost me $100-$125 per hour.
Latest update
Overwhelmed; many thanks! 16 August 2019
Thank you so much to all the amazing people who have reached out and shared their experiences with me.
On social media I had a few people ask me to please extend this fundraising effort to give them time to share within their networks. Thank you so much to all my friends, allies, and supporters in the Neurodiverse community.
Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. At this point I am quite overwhelmed by the idea of needing to travel for clinical help, especially as I have been led to believe that this process takes many visits over a period of time. Having to find care for my children while I commute to a different city is a step I am reluctant to take if I can access a care team locally. So yeah, nah.. I don't really want to go to another city for this. #changingplansisscary
When "words fail me", I tend to use a lot of them, so I'll stop ranting now before I type all day.
Again, thank you. 😘
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